


The Worthy King

by Apex3386



Series: The Worthy King Arc [2]
Category: Henry Stickmin Series (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Toppat King Ending | TK (Henry Stickmin)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:20:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26548900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apex3386/pseuds/Apex3386
Summary: Henry has been the leader of the Toppat Clan for four years. The Orbital Station has been in orbit, untouched from the rest of the world, containing the greatest riches they could ever hope to have. Ellie and Henry started a relationship together, each equally ruling over the Toppats. Henry begins plotting the next raid, when Reginald asks him a few questions, and apologizes for some of his previous judgmental beliefs. After listening to Reginald's speech, Henry informs him of a raid he's been planning. Saying if it happens, the Toppats will have more than just riches in the end.
Relationships: Henry Stickmin/Ellie Rose
Series: The Worthy King Arc [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1980619
Comments: 9
Kudos: 110





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Quick note I want to make, "Living the Dream" had daily uploads, while I want this to be the case for "The Worthy King" as well, I highly doubt it. Also, like I promised after "I'm Sorry for my Flaws", no angst.

Four years since Reginald grabbed Henry, who almost fell to his death after leaping out of the tank.

Four years of the Orbital Station dominating the world.

Four years of Henry being the leader of the Toppats, with Ellie, Reginald, and the Right Hand Man by his side.

Four years, without fear or pain.

Henry was plotting the next scheme for his latest raid. The Toppats had all of the most valuable jewels in the world, being the proud owners of the Romanian Ruby and Norwegian Emerald, as well as the Tunisian Diamond that Henry stole all on his own. Either way, Henry had spend hours writing down the coordinates of the most expensive riches.

Henry had set up a really fancy office beside the bedroom where he and Ellie slept together. A few days after the Orbital Station was launched, Henry and Ellie started a relationship together. The entire Toppat Clan supported them, and found Henry and Ellie to be fitting leaders for them. Henry had been up all night working on this raid, he'd been drinking coffee to stay energized. He was about to grab his next sheet of paper, when he heard a knock on his door. He walked out of his throne, grabbed a mug beside the coffee maker, filled it up, and opened with his other hand.

"What are you doing up so late? It's past midnight." Henry asked Reginald as he walked in.

"I could ask you the same. How's everything been going?" Reginald asked him as the Toppat leader passed him the cup.

"It's been alright. I've been trying to look at where our next raid could be. We have a lot already, sure, but I figured there's still so much out there we don't have." Henry told the former ruler.

"I see, thanks for the coffee, by the way." Reginald remarked as he took a sip. "Anyway, I came in here, because I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Oh, what is it?" Henry questioned, seeming curious.

"I didn't make you a leader because I thought you deserved it. I made you a leader because I wanted the Toppats to live on." Henry seemed even more curious now.

"The Toppats were the closest thing I ever had to a family. As soon as I turned eighteen, I left the hellhole my parents had the audacity to call a home. I was homeless for months until I got myself arrested. After my sentence was served, the Toppats took me in, I was their youngest member. I truly respected them for the way they treated me, and I was worried I'd lose the only thing my life has ever been proud of, so I let you take leadership."

"I understand, some criminals have feelings too. That's what separates us from the others, we care about each other. I care about the ones who assist me. Ellie wasn't a Toppat when I met her, but she helped me, and she deserved help as well." The criminal mastermind said.

"But there's one thing. I didn't think you were worthy of being a leader. As soon as I found some way to prove you unworthy, I planned on taking leadership of the Toppats again, in my greed for power, I failed to consider your feelings. I truly apologize for my misbehavior, and I hope you understand that I only wanted to protect the clan." Reginald sighed.

"I don't blame you. If I was told five years ago that I'd lead the most powerful criminal organization in the world, I wouldn't believe it. I'll be honest, being the leader isn't what I wanted at first, I came to the airship to hunt you down. What I was given though, was far more than a pardon." Henry replied as he put down his pen and paper. He got up to stretch and looked outside the window. "We used to be there, on Earth. How can you tell me a pardon would be better than this?"

"Didn't you have people you cared about that weren't Toppats? Family? Friends? Loved ones?"

"Not really, Ellie was one of the few people I even trusted, and as soon as we left the complex we came to the Launch Site. We planned on recruiting her in. As for Charles, he was a nice person, I feel bad for betraying him. But he works with the government, he's our enemy now."

"I see. What was the plan for your raid anyway?" Reginald asked. "If I may, of course."

"I plan on announcing it to everyone soon. I am going to tell you one thing, though. This is the biggest raid we've ever pulled off." Henry told him. "I'll probably announce it tomorrow. It's almost done."

"Interesting. Anyway, I'll probably head out now. You should get some rest, no? You've been working so hard on this, but even you can take breaks if you need them. I can take some time out of my schedule to assist you." Reginald offered.

"Don't worry, it's fine. I'll get some rest soon. I'm mostly done, anyway, so when I'll probably present it soon." Henry said, sipping from his own mug of coffee. "Thanks for stopping by!"

"It was my pleasure, say hello to Ellie for me. One more thing, Henry." Reginald added as Henry tilted his head up. "You really are a worthy leader."

"You've taught me almost everything there is to be a Toppat. The skills, the dedication, the culture. I see myself more as your successor." Henry replied. Reginald smiled as he closed the door. Henry sighed as he finished his coffee, he was tired. Each night he told Ellie that he would stay up for a while to continue his projects, but they both knew he wasn't getting enough sleep. He was about to walk into the room he and Ellie split, before Ellie opened the door and got out.

"You okay? Normally I'm the one up all night." Henry asked, while laughing a little at the joke he made.

"Reginald isn't very quiet, to be fair, neither are you." Ellie replied, causing Henry to sigh.

"I didn't mean to wake you up, I'm sorry." Henry told her, sounding sad. Ellie walked over to him and gave him a hug.

"It's fine, I just miss going to sleep with you beside me, your projects are working you hard." Ellie whispered.

"Yeah, I've been working hard because of them. You're right, though. It shouldn't take me away from you." Henry added. "I'll be with you tonight. I'm almost done anyway." He gave Ellie a kiss after he finished his sentence. When they broke the kiss, they walked into their room. Ellie and Henry both went to lay on the bed.

"I love you, I'm sorry my projects took me away from you." Henry told her.

"It's fine, you're busy. I understand, I'm always here for you, whether it's as the Toppat leader or as Henry Stickmin, you can always trust me." Ellie said with a smile. Henry gave her a hug.

"Thank you so much. I'll be presenting tomorrow, this raid will be the biggest one I've ever planned." Henry told her. "For now, I want to sleep with you for the first time in a while."

"I love you, Henry." Ellie said, tightening her grip on Henry as she hugged him.

"I love you too, Ellie." Henry replied as he shut his eyes, as he drifted into sleep with comfort.

* * *

The next day, Henry woke up, got out of bed, and woke Ellie up.

"Hey, you slept well, right?" Henry asked her as she got up.

"Yeah, I really missed being with you at night." Ellie answered. "Being with you tonight comforted me a lot. Anyway, when do you plan on presenting this?"

"After dinner, maybe. I'll announce that it'll be happening soon, but I want to eat something. Do you want me to get you anything?" Henry offered. Ellie thought about it, she was pretty hungry, but she decided to go with Henry ultimately.

"I think I'll go with you if that's fine." Ellie said with a smile, opening the door of Henry's office, and walking to the cafeteria. Henry and Ellie were both grabbing their meals, when they saw Reginald and the Right Hand Man.

"Oh, hi, Reginald! How's everything going?" Ellie asked the former king.

"It's been alright. I just came to get some breakfast, may I sit next to you both?"

"I don't see the harm in it, what do you think, Henry?" Ellie wondered, Henry gave a slight nod. They went to a table together and sat down.

"So, Henry, when are you going to tell everyone your big plan?" Reginald asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Big plans, huh? This seems interesting." Right Hand Man interrupted, speaking for the first time since Henry and Ellie arrived.

"Sometime tonight, probably around eight or nine." Henry responded. "I'll let everyone know when I'm done eating that it'll be happening, though. Just so they know to be at the auditorium tonight." Henry answered.

"I see, does Reg know anything about it?" Right Hand Man asked.

"Well, it's a huge raid, biggest in Toppat history. Henry hasn't told anyone too much, really. So I guess we'll all find out tonight." Ellie said.

"I'll give you a quick hint, though. We do this and we'll have to make a second vault." Henry told them. Reginald looked surprised.

"Henry, just what do you plan on stealing?" He asked. Henry gave a short, yet efficient response.

"A lot."


	2. Chapter 2

Henry walked back to his office, brewed himself a mug of coffee, and sat down.

"You should try drinking something else, I don't actually know how much water you drink." Ellie remarked.

"I know, I've just been really busy lately, and the caffeine helps." Henry sighed. "I get that it's not healthy, and that I should stop drinking it. But it's been helping me manage this."

"Don't you ever want a break? You do know I can help you if you ever need it." Ellie asked him.

"I just don't want to bother you. Besides, I'll be with you far more often now, Ellie. I'll present this tonight and then we'll be able to spend some time together." Henry replied. "Anyway, I should probably make the announcement about it." Henry went to grab his microphone and turn it on, before Ellie grabbed his wrist.

"You want me to do it? I know you're not the kind of person that likes talking to people." Ellie offered.

"Thanks, I would like that." Henry answered as he wrapped his arms around Ellie, she returned the hug. Eventually, she let go and grabbed the microphone, and spoke her announcement as the speakers through the Orbital Station copied them.

"Hello, everyone. There will be an assembly in the auditorium tonight at eight. This is extremely important to attend, and I expect all of you to be there." Ellie's voice boomed through the speakers. She spoke with enough confidence and volume that every Toppat heard her clearly, and knew it was important.

"For now, we still have a lot of time. I think we should spend it together for the first time in a while." Henry suggested.

"Thought you'd never ask. What do you want to do, though?"

“To be honest, I'm not really sure. It's up to you, honestly. Henry said as he sat down. Ellie sat beside him and gave him a hug.

"I love you, Henry."

"I love you too, Ellie. I missed this. I missed not doing my work and spending my time with you."

* * *

It was seven.

Henry was scrambling around the closet, he was trying to find his suit. He wanted to be early to prevent being late, so he was preparing his outfit an hour prior.

“Need any help?” Ellie asked out of the blue. Her unknown appearance made Henry jump.

“Hey, you surprised me. Anyway, I'm fine.”

“That's good. Have you seen my gloves anywhere?” Ellie asked.

“Yeah, just give me a second, it's right... here.” Henry responded as he grabbed them off the end table and passed them to her Ellie.

“Thanks, I'm going to get changed now. So don't come in.” Ellie said as she closed the door to the change room. Henry searched through his closet to grab his suit, he found his gloves and dress shirt. He eventually found his suit and dress pants, and Ellie's hat, she must have forgotten it by his on the hat rack. He grabbed all of his clothes, and sat on the couch, waiting for Ellie to come out of the change room. Eventually, she walked out, wearing her deep purple suit and pants, with a black dress shirt and white tie, accompanied by white gloves and pitch black boots, with her hair tied back.

“I know I tell you every time, but you look beautiful.” Henry smiled. “You forgot your hat, though.” Ellie grabbed her hat and sat beside Henry.

“You really do always say that.” Ellie chuckled. “Anyway, you're free to get changed, now. Thanks for giving me my hat back, I forgot it.” Henry nodded as he went in the change room, and put on his suit. Ellie waited until Henry got changed so they could leave together. Henry walked out, wearing his black suit with a white dress shirt and black tie, complemented by navy blue gloves and boots, and finally, his black top hat with the golden chain around it.

"You look really good, too." Ellie said as she gave Henry a hug.

“Thanks, nice to know you think I look good. You ready to go?” Henry asked.

“More than ever. Let's go make more stories.” Ellie responded. They walked to the auditorium. Sure, they were extremely early, but Henry wanted to make sure they weren't late at all. It was empty when they entered. Ellie and Henry walked onto the stage, and after a few minutes of silence, Ellie finally spoke.

“So, if you don't mind, I can start the introduction. I figured it would be nice for both of us to present it." Ellie commented.

"That could work. You know what you'd be saying, though, right?"

"Yeah, I got it. You've got everything you need?" Ellie asked.

"I'm ready. Now we just have to wait until everyone shows up." He said.

"You alright?" Ellie asked.

"Just nervous, is all."

"You'll do fine, everyone will love it." As they waited, Reginald and his Right Hand walked to the front of the auditorium, sitting on the seats closest to the stage.

"So, Henry. It'll only be a few more minutes before everyone hears your great plan." Reginald regarded. "I must say, I'm quite intrigued to hear what it is."

"I agree with Reg. This seems really good, and I'm sure you've been thinking long and hard about this one." Right Hand Man added. Henry sighed in response his statement.

"I've worked too hard on it, my sleep schedule got ruined, I've been talking to people less, and I've been drinking way too much coffee." He said. "Either way, I'm sure you'll both find it to be amazing."

Eventually every Toppat member was in the auditorium. At this time, Ellie finally began her introduction.

"Greeting, everyone! We have you gathered here today, as our leader, Henry Stickmin, has come to make an announcement!" Ellie boomed. "Before that, however, I'd like to thank all of you for coming here tonight. It's been a wonderful four years of being with all of you aboard the Orbital Station. Now, let's hear from the king himself." She passed the microphone to Henry.

"Hello, everyone! I've been working really hard, and I have some big plans. The highest ranking Toppats knew I was planning a huge raid, largest in Toppat history. But what they didn't know is what my plans actually are." The audience applauded as they heard Henry's speech. "I have a three part plan, and I promise you, this will be the greatest operation we've ever performed!"

"How long are you going to keep them waiting?" Ellie whispered to Henry.

"I'm getting to that." He quietly answered. "Part one is simple. As you all know, we've lost many valuable members during the launch, we will free them! Now, for part two. You may remember long ago, my heist to steal the Tunisian Diamond single-handedly. I have something far greater than that to show you." Henry turned on the monitor to present his slideshow. "This is the Diamond of Dreams, it looks small, but it's worth over three hundred fifty million dollars, over triple that of the Tunisian Diamond!"

The audience boomed with applauds, the Tunisian Diamond itself was almost half the value of everything else in the Orbital Station. This would nearly double their riches.

"And that's just part two! That is just part two! Part three is even greater! As you may know, the government has their own space station in orbit, quite large as well. Huge issue for us, I plan on getting our most skilled members to siege against it. We do this right, and there's two huge benefits to it. The government loses all access they have to space, and we have more room for what we need, and given how much money the Diamond of Dreams would give us, I'm pretty sure we'd need extra space."

"I must say, Henry really did have a genius plan. This will set us up so far ahead, I mean, we're already basically untouched by the rest of the world, but this? This will make the Toppat Clan unbeatable." Reginald said to his Right Hand Man.

"That's for sure. I knew Henry was planning something massive, but I wasn't expecting this." Right Hand Man agreed.

"I don't believe we should start these just yet, however. It seems foolish to go in without any preparations, so don't worry about it just yet. I thank you all for attending, and I hope you all are ready for this plan!" Henry said as he walked off the stage. The Toppats got out of their seats and left the auditorium. Ellie and Henry walked over to Reginald and the Right Hand Man.

"So, Henry wasn't half bad, was he, Reg?" Right Hand Man asked.

"I'd say you did really well, Henry. I can see why you've been working hard on this. This is truly amazing." Reginald answered.

"I guess you were right, I did do fine." Henry told Ellie.

"Fine? You did more than just fine. Everyone loved it!" She said as she hugged Henry.

"You guys are probably going back to your room, right?" Reginald asked. Henry nodded.

"I need the sleep, I haven't gotten a healthy night in weeks." Henry sighed. "Besides, there are people I care for that I haven't spent enough time with."

"That's understandable. Again, Henry, that was amazing! Either way, I hope you enjoy the rest of your night." Reginald said.

"You as well, Reginald." Ellie replied as she let go of Henry, walking out the door, back to her and Henry's room. When they got in, Henry and Ellie both removed their hat, boots and gloves. Henry opened his closet and grabbed a new set of clothes.

"You want to change out of that first? I can wait." Henry asked Ellie.

"Okay, thanks. I'll be out in a few minutes." Ellie said as she closed the door to the change room. A few minutes later, she came out, with her suit in her arms.

"You're good to use the change room now. I'll be in our room, so when you're done I'll be there." Ellie said as she walked out, hanging up her attire. Henry changed out of his formal wear, then walked out. He went into their room, and sat down on the bed beside Ellie.

"You were amazing. Everyone loved it, Henry." She told him. Henry laid down as he gave her a hug.

"Thank you. I promise now that I'm done working on it, I'll be with you a lot more often. I love you." Henry quietly told her.

"I love you too." Ellie replied. "We're going to do everything you said. I'll make sure we get it done well, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been trying really hard, but unfortunately, daily chapters will not be a thing anymore. School's been really hard for me and I can't keep doing this each day. In exchange, I'll try to make chapters longer, hope nobody minds that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? Another daily update? Man, I didn't expect this, honestly. I thought I'd have to upload this a few days later because of everything I have going on, but I managed.

Henry was considering their needed assets for the raids he planned. They opted to use the Airship while on Earth to steal the Diamond of Dreams and free the Toppat prisoners from the government. After everyone gets freed, his plan was to siege the government space station, as it seemed to be the most difficult to perform. Luckily, with the Right Hand Man's augmentations after his defeat on the Airship, it should be a breeze. He got out of bed, went to get a drink of water, and then laid down on the couch. Ellie soon walked out, seeing Henry on the couch.

"Doesn't my man ever get to rest?" She asked, sounding worried.

"I'll be fine. There's just one thing concerning me about this whole thing." Henry said. "What if we fail?"

Ellie didn't know what to say, that was something she never considered. However, as she thought about this, she realized the likelihood of it happening.

"We won't. We can't back down of it now, anyway. Everyone knows we planned it, and are now just waiting to do it." Ellie replied.

"You're right, we've basically decided this was happening as soon as we announced it. Given how much we have as well, we shouldn't."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking, now are you going to get a good night sleep for the first time ever?" She asked with a sigh.

"I don't know if I'm physically able to do that anymore." Henry chuckled, Ellie frowned.

"I'm being serious." She said as she gave Henry a hug.

"I'm sorry, for not being with you, for my unhealthy life style. I wouldn't have done this if I had known what it would do to you." Henry replied, wrapping his arms around Ellie. "I promise you, I'll start spending more time with you as soon as I can."

* * *

Two months have passed since Henry announced his big plans. They were on the Airship, awaiting Henry's command.

"You sure you want to lead the Liberation Crew?" Henry asked Ellie. "I don't want to put your life on the line. This is far more dangerous than what the Diamond Crew is doing."

"I'll be fine, we all know what we're fighting for here." Ellie responded. She turned her head away from Henry and faced the swarm of armed Toppats behind her.

"Hey." Henry said as Ellie turned back to him. "I love you."

"I love you too. I'll be fine." She gave Henry one last hug before she led them into battle. "You go with Reginald to get the Diamond of Dreams."

"I have a letter for you, but I want you to open it after you're done freeing the Toppats." Henry said as he let go of Ellie, taking the envelope out of his jacket's pocket.

"Thanks. I promise you, I'll be fine." She turned around, facing the Toppats she would be commanding.

"Alright, listen up! I will not be repeating myself! We have a change of plans, I'll be leading you instead, Henry will go with Reginald! We're at the prison where our fellow comrades are! We'll breach the prison from the main entrance. Right Hand Man will be in the front, being our main attacker. Anything he doesn't get, I trust you all to deal with. Henry and Reginald will go with the other Toppats to take the Diamond of Dreams. We'll need to make sure we have spare weapons, we'll need the prisoners to defend themselves in some capacity." Ellie's voice boomed with confidence.

"I'll be getting most of the work done, you guys just need to free the prisoners. I'm more than capable of getting the guards out of the way." Right Hand Man said.

"Henry, Reginald and the remaining Toppats need the Airship to get to the Diamond, so if you have anything you need to do, make it quick." She commanded. Henry walked out of the room and went to see Reginald.

"Well, there's a change of plans." Henry told Reginald.

"What? We're changing our plans now? Where's Ellie?" Reginald asked, seemingly annoyed.

"Nothing too big, Ellie and I are just switching roles. I'm going with you guys, I have a bit of history with stealing jewels, anyway." Henry informed Reginald as he sighed with relief.

"Alright, that's good. We've already briefed them on what they're going to do. It should take us a while to get there, but we'll be leaving as soon as all the Toppats that are with Ellie and my Right Hand Man get off the Airship." Reginald told Henry.

* * *

Ellie lead the Toppats into battle, with the Right Hand Man in the front, he fired lasers from his cybernetic eye, destroying the guards in front of the prison and the wall blocking them. The Airship started elevating, and Henry looked down to see Ellie.

'Please, for me, Ellie. Survive.' He thought. He watched the Liberation Crew fight relentlessly, easily tearing through each guard, policemen and soldier who crossed them. Sadly, he also watched some Toppats fall during the battle. They planned their timings, and found out that they had enough time to fly the Airship to the Diamond of Dreams, return to the prison where the Liberation Crew would be after freeing all the Toppats.

"Henry, you okay?" Reginald asked, seeing Henry's frown.

"I'm worried about Ellie, I'm worried she'll get injured, or worse..." Henry trailed off. He really didn't want to think of that.

"I-I see. You needn't worry however! My Right Hand Man was told to protect you at all costs, but given how she's leading them now, I imagine he's protecting her now. Trust me, she'll be fine. I'm more worried about us, if I'm going to be honest, we have a much smaller crew, and we don't have my Right Hand Man with me." Reginald said, trying to encourage Henry, and prevent him from worrying about Ellie.

"You're right. Thanks, Reginald. Even excluding the leadership role you showed me, even excluding everything you've done for the clan, just know that you're a good friend. I'm not saying this as the leader of the Toppats or anything. No, for this conversation, I'm just Henry Stickmin." He told him. Reginald smiled, he felt truly happy to hear that.

"Thank you, Henry. It truly means a lot to me. There's something I want to ask you." Reginald replied. "Your home life, when you were young. Was it good?"

"Well, I never really spent my life at home. My parents were almost always working, they barely ever saw me. I went out with my friend group at the time, and I got drunk, partied. Everything your stereotypical teenager would be doing. It was actually then we found out I can't drink alcohol, my body reacts to it horribly. I threw up. Anyway, I ended up dropping out of school, and being really poor for about a decade. I needed someway to earn money, but no jobs worked for me, ever. I ended up resorting to a life of crime, and broke into a bank. That ended... poorly, I got arrested and went to the West Mesa Penitentiary. I escaped, stole the Tunisian Diamond, and then Galeforce used me to take you guys down, you know how that went."

"I see, and you said you met Ellie at the Wall, correct?" Reginald asked, trying to confirm. Henry nodded.

About half an hour later, the Airship arrived near the museum where the Diamond of Dreams was, but not so close it would be detected.

"That's our que, let's do this." Henry said to Reginald, as they got out.

"So, the Airship is going back to the Liberation Crew to pick them up. We have roughly an hour to do this, let's make it count." Reginald replied, as them and the other Toppats amassed, ready to steal the Diamond.

* * *

The Liberation Crew had busted into the prison, easily defeating the guards, policemen and whoever else stood in their way. The Right Hand Man proved to be a real asset to the team. Being able to shoot lethally hot lasers from his cybernetic eye, the ability to transmute his arm into a lethal gun or sword, and the powerful shields he could generate. With him, the Liberation Crew was basically unstoppable. They had lost a few men, but they were able to free more than they lost.

Eventually, they won the battle. There was almost nobody else that could come to help the police fend off the Toppats, and they won. Overall, it was way easier than they thought.

"Right Hand Man, do you know when the Airship will be here?" Ellie wondered.

"Should be a while after Henry and Reg get to the Diamond, we still have some time."

"Alright, so we just have to play the waiting game." Ellie sighed, hoping to get out as soon as possible to avoid the risk of any reinforcements coming. "Everyone! May I have your attention for a few minutes?" The Toppats turned their attention to Ellie. "As you might have imagined, we came here to free you. For those unaware, my name is Ellie Rose. I'm the second in command of the Toppat Clan, accompanying Henry Stickmin, the leader of the Toppats. We were able to free all of you, but we have big plans, Henry and Reginald are working to steal the Diamond of Dreams. Which is over three hundred million dollars. After that, we plan on attacking the government space station so we can have absolute control." The Toppats celebrated, they were more than ready to do this, and get some revenge.

* * *

The Diamond Crew were able to distract the museum security with an explosion they had caused within the museum. Using this moment, they quickly went to get the Diamond of Dreams.

"Just like last time." Henry whispered to Reginald.

"Well, glad to know we had you do this instead." Reginald replied with a smile.

Soon enough, Henry was able to grab the Diamond. Given it's small size, he passed it to Reginald, who put it in his pocket. They walked out, with the Diamond in there possession as they went to enter the Airship, before a few guards got them.

"Freeze!" They said, aiming their guns at them. Reginald and Henry stood with their back to each other.

"We fight, right?" Henry asked almost silently.

"You go ahead, the Toppat Clan needs you. I'll get them." Reginald replied.

* * *

Ellie was catching her breath from the intensity of what happened, and saw Reginald get on board.

"Reginald, glad to see you again."

"We have some good news, and we have some bad news. The good news is that we got the Diamond. The bad news is that we had some guards come after us. I told Henry to let me deal with them, And I did, they're all... well, dealt with. But..."

"What happened?" She asked.

"I'm pretty sure Henry's going to end up like my Right Hand Man." Reginald said, opening the door to the room Henry was in.

Ellie screamed. Seeing Henry's arm covered in bullet wounds, blood leaking out made her want to cry.

"No... it can't be. Please, tell me he can hear me. Tell me he's awake." Ellie begged as she walked over.

"We can't do anything about it. I'm pretty sure he died, but the doctor we contact is able to bring them back to life with organ replacements. He won't be human anymore, but he'll still be Henry." Reginald informed her, sighing with pain. Telling Ellie that hurt him.

Ellie sat down beside Henry. At least she knew he'd be okay. At least she knew she could still spend her life with him. But still, she wanted to be with him.

"If I may, Reginald."

"No worries, I understand." Reginald said as he left. Ellie took the envelope Henry gave her out of her pocket, and read it.

'Hey! I know it's rough what you're doing, and you probably miss me. I don't blame you. I've been with you so little the past long while, and I get you want to spend more time with me. I'm sorry I've been away from you as often as I have, and I just want you to know that I love you. Seriously, I do. You're amazing, Ellie. I think the happiest day of my life was meeting you. Anyway, I'm running out of room on this paper to tell you how amazing you are. So just know that you are, and that I'll always love you, Ellie Rose.'

-Your beloved.

Ellie looked beside Henry. He truly was amazing. She loved him as well, she walked out of the room Henry was in, and tried to get her own sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About time! I've been trying to get this done, but I've been busy with other projects, so I had to postpone this for a day. Hope you all enjoy this chapter!

The word went around about Henry's defeat among all members of the Toppat Clan. Ellie took temporary leadership now that Henry was being reconstructed. Reginald understood Ellie's fears and has been with her, trying to encourage and comfort her. After all, he thought he lost his Right Hand Man when Galeforce used Henry to infiltrate the Airship.

“He'll survive, Ellie. I can promise you that much. He's already been brought in to the doctor that we brought my Right Hand Man into. It should only take another day now.”

“But, will he remember us? Will he remember the Toppats? Will he remember me?” Ellie asked, genuinely wondering what this would do to him. “What if something goes wrong and Henry doesn't survive?”

Reginald didn't know what to say. He never considered these when the Right Hand Man was being augmented.

“I... never considered that. I'm sorry, we had no other choice, Ellie. It was either this or he would die anyway. The doctor we've talked to before is incredible at her work.”

“Will it really only take a day?” Ellie asked.

“Yes, she works extremely quickly. Henry should be back by tomorrow. He's sustained multiple gunshots to the chest, and a few to the head. Nothing to major, she's fixed worse.” Reginald assured.

“How is that not major? That's lethal! I don't want him to die!” Ellie cried.

“For her, it's not. She's fixed worse. I know it doesn't seem like it, but he'll be okay. I promise.” Reginald told her.

* * *

Henry woke up. He had a massive headache.

'Where am I? What happened?' He wondered. He couldn't remember what happened. Something about... being shot? He tried to piece it all together.

'Did I... die? I don't know anymore...'

'We fight, right?' He remembered asking someone, he didn't remember who.

'You get ahead, the Toppat Clan needs you. I'll get them.' After hearing the man's response, he went to get on... an Airship? and then he remembered.

'I was... shot down. But how am I still alive? Does that mean we won? What about Ellie? How's she doing?' He thought. 'I feel... heavy? It's strange, I don't think it hurts, I don't know. My head's pounding.' He tried getting up, and he saw a women, she looked like a doctor.

“Oh? Awake already, I see?” She said.

“Who are you? Where am I?” Henry asked.

“Relax, my name is Dr. Vinschpinsilstien. You were shot in head, lungs and right arm.”

“You want me to relax? I was almost murdered, and I don't even know who you are!” Henry said, seemingly angered.

“You were murdered. I saved you. I fixed many people before, I could help you as well, but I had to remove bullets, and replace some organs and body tissue.” She informed him. He couldn't believe it. He raised his arm and saw the whole thing replaced with metal. He looked down at his torso area, metal. He touched his face, more metal.

“I've heard you were with Toppats when attacked? I've met them before.” The doctor told Henry. Henry assumed she didn't know he was affiliated with the Toppats, let alone their leader, so he just played along.

“Yeah, huge criminal organization. Got a huge station set up, pretty tough to deal with.” He replied. “How long do you think it'll be before I can go back home?”

“You're still healing, would be dangerous to go back.” Dr. Vinschpinsilstien answered.

“I know the Toppat leader's Right Hand Man had a jet booster, and a few other accessories. What can I do?” Henry asked.

“You can leave if you want, I've added jetpack to your spine, if you ever need more assistance, I'll always be here.” She sighed.

'Jetpack, huh? So I can get out of here.' Henry thought. “Perfect. Thank you so much for saving my life, but I have places to be.” Henry said as he transmuted his back, forming twin jet boosters. He accelerated into the air, and flew back to the Toppat Airship.

* * *

“So, Henry will be coming back today. When he arrives, we're going to go back to the Orbital Station. Forgive me for postponing the last part of his plan, but when he returns, I want to spend some time with him.” Ellie told Reginald and the few Toppats that were with her at the time. She walked out of the room, and went into the room she's been sleeping in the past few days. A few minutes later, she heard a knock on the door.

“Ellie? How are you doing?” Reginald asked. Ellie opened the door and let him in.

“I guess I'm doing fine. Leading the Toppats isn't exactly easy. I can't wait for Henry to come back.” She sighed.

“I know, we all want him back. I can only imagine how hard it is for you. He really is perfect for you, Ellie.” Reginald told her. Ellie heard a voice from her communication device.

“Ma'am, do you copy?” One of the Toppats said. She imagined it was Burt, he always liked his job.

“What is it?” She replied.

“We have something approaching.” He replied. “We think it's Henry? Might want to bring weapons with you just to be safe. We're not entirely sure.”

'I'm hoping it is.' Ellie thought as she grabbed her gun. She walked out to the balcony of the Airship, where she saw someone sitting down.

“Henry, is that really you?” She asked, tears running down her face. Henry turned his head towards her, and she saw just about everything that was reconstructed. His head was mostly replaced, as well as his upper chest region, and right arm. Henry got up and gave her a hug. The touch of his cold, metal arm would have felt extremely unwelcoming if it wasn't him.

“Yeah, I-I'm still alive. As surprising as it is, I'm still here.” Henry said. His shoulder felt less comfortable for her to rest her head on, but it was still soothing for her.

“I'm so glad you're back. I was worried about you. Reginald assured me you'd be fine, but I was still worried. It means so much to me knowing you're still alive.” Ellie told him.

“Did you see the letter I wrote you?” He asked.

“I read it. After hearing what happened to you, I figured reading it would help me calm down just slightly. I'm just so glad you're still alive.” She sighed in relief.

“Hey, I would never die on you. Even if I'm not the same anymore, I'm still here for you.” Henry said as he tightened his grip on her. The moment would end, soon however, as they heard the door open as someone stepped out.

“Oh! Hey, Reginald! Must be awkward... seeing me here.” Henry said, he seemed flustered.

“Oh, no. It's fine, I completely understand. You two have a relationship, it's fine. Also, Henry,” Reginald added as he searched through his pocket. “We still have the Diamond of Dreams.”

“We freed everyone as well. We did it, Henry. You're still alive to see it, we won, we've done everything that you wanted.” Ellie told him.

"No, there's one more thing. The government is still a very potential threat to us, if I'm not already proof of that. We have to stop them. I don't care how now.” Henry said. “How many more people have to suffer what I have until we win? How long before you become like me, Ellie? I love you, and no matter what happens, I always will. But I know what... well, this is like.” He continued as he showed Ellie his metallic chest and arm. “Do you really want to be like this as well?”

Ellie couldn't answer that. She didn't know what to say.

“My point is that we need to stop them from doing what they did to me to anyone else. I know I can do more with my new enhancements, but this is no blessing.” Henry sighed. “My life has been permanently affected, I could have died. Do we want to risk this happening ever again?”

“Henry's right. There are people trying to stop us. Now that Henry's back, we can return to the Orbital Station, but we need to prepare for potential attacks. I'm going to send a signal to the Toppats at the Orbital Station to let them know we can return.” Reginald added as he walked out. Henry went to leave the balcony, but Ellie grabbed his metal wrist.

He turned around, seeing her expression of fear, it hurt Henry seeing Ellie this way, she's never expressed genuine fear or sadness before. Sure, she's worries about his health in the past when he almost never slept, but that's not what he saw in her face today.

“Wait, I want to ask you something.” Ellie said, letting go of his arm. “Do you think you'll ever be human again?”

“I... That's something that... I've never thought of. I don't know if there's a way to do that.”

“Please, if we ever find a way. I want you to be human again. I know you're alive still, and that's great, but...”

“I know. I want to be the way I was, too. If that option's ever given to us, I'll take it.” Henry told Ellie as he gave her a hug.

“I love you, Henry.” Ellie said as she cried into his shoulder.

“Hey, hey. I'm fine, there's no need to cry. Everything's okay.” Henry tried to comfort Ellie.

“I know. I was just so scared I'd lose you.”

“I'm here, I always will be Ellie. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Ellie nearly whispered. She was already fairly quiet, but now her voice was nearly silent. Henry stroked his hand through her soft, red hair.

“I'll be fine. You want me to stay out here with you?” Henry offered.

“If you don't mind.” She answered, wiping the tears out of her eyes. Henry closed the door and sat back down on the balcony, gripping the metal bar.

“You sure you're fine? You've been leaning against the wall or holding onto the bars this whole time.” Ellie mentioned.

“I was supposed to take a few days to heal. I didn't care, I knew that you missed me. I came back here as soon as possible. But my balance is still pretty bad.” Henry responded. “I knew it would happen, but I also knew how much it would have meant to you if I came back.”

“But you are okay, right?” She asked.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine, just not very coordinated, nothing lethal or anything.” He answered. “I wouldn't come back just to die. I promise you, I'll live.” Ellie gave him another hug.

“I don't know why, but for some reason, the cold feeling of the metal is soothing.” Ellie said.

“Sometimes, I never understand you.” Henry sighed. The two laughed for a while.

“I love you, Henry.”

“And I love you too, Ellie.”

* * *

The Toppats arrived back at the Orbital Station. Henry was resting on his bed, with Ellie beside him.

“So, what parts of you have been replaced, anyway?” Ellie asked.

“Well, you can see my head and arm, but my upper torso was replaced as well.” Henry told her. Knocking on his chest, followed by a metallic clang.

“That's it?”

“Yeah, it's not horrible. I will try to get it fixed at some point, but for now it's fine.” Henry told her.

“That's really good, I'm glad to hear, I'm ready to call it a day. We've both been though a lot today.” Ellie said.

"I don't blame you, I need some sleep as well." Henry replied as he turned off the lights, and went to lay down again. "I love you, Ellie."

"I love you too, Henry."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter doesn't have much plot development. It's just Henry and Ellie being adorable together. It's not going to be that long, either, so I'll be sure to have another chapter out today as well. Hope you guys don't mind that too much!

Henry couldn't sleep. The awkward, abstract and heavy feeling of his augmentations was going to take some getting used to. He gently tugged on Ellie's sleeve, trying to wake her up. He wanted someone to talk to.

"Oh? What is it, Henry?" Ellie asked, rubbing her eyes.

"I can't sleep, I don't feel the same. These augmentations feel... weird? I don't know how to describe them." Henry told her.

"You alright? If you want I can stay with you until you manage to sleep again." Ellie offered, Henry gave her a hug.

"I don't want you skipping sleep just to be with me, Ellie. I've already gotten my health all sorts of screwed up. I don't want you to deal with it."

"All I've wanted was to see you more often. Besides, you woke me up." Ellie replied. Henry sighed, not really being able to argue with that.

"I want to know, Ellie. Does me having these cybernetics make you love me less?" Henry asked.

"No, no. Not at all, Henry. I don't want you to think it does." Ellie answered, giving Henry a kiss.

"Thank you. I was really worried you wouldn't want to be with me because I'm not fully human anymore." Henry said, feeling his throat clog up as he spoke.

"That doesn't matter to me, though. All that matters is that you're still Henry. Nothing else matters. Not that you lead the Toppats, not that you've been reconstructed, nothing." Ellie replied, her eyes slightly tearing up. "I love you, Henry, and I always will."

"I love you too, Ellie. You've always been there for me, you've always given me hope when I needed it, you treat me with so much loving, kind support. You really are amazing. I will never meet someone as generous as you." Henry told Ellie, she continued to cry.

"Thank you so much, Henry. You have no idea how much that meant to me. I know I'm crying, but it's because I'm happy." Ellie said as she cried into his shoulder. Henry stroked his hand through her hair.

"You know, seeing you this emotional is strange. Normally you keep this to yourself. Not that I have an issue with it or anything! I just... I'm surprised."

"Well, I guess it's because I never really had anything I ever felt insecure about, and when I'm around you, I'm okay with letting my emotions spill out. Normally I feel like people would judge me, even if they don't say it. When I'm with you, though, I don't worry about that and I feel more like myself." Ellie responded.

"Hey, don't worry about it, Ellie, it's fine. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here. So are any of the Toppats, everyone respects you." Henry said.

"Yeah, but I don't feel comfortable talking to anyone about it except you. I don't know, it's probably just because I feel so attached to you, and I trust you more than anyone else." Ellie replied.

"That makes enough sense. I feel happy when I'm with you, no matter what it is. I'm sorry that I'm like this now, but I'll try."

"You really scared me back there. I thought you were going to die." Ellie told him as she began to cry again.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm okay, look at me." Henry said. Ellie turned her head towards him. "There's no need to cry, I'm okay. I'm not going to die, not anytime soon, anyway. "

"I love you so much, Henry, I can't even begin to explain it. I'm just so glad that you're here for me. You're so amazing." Ellie cried as she hugged Henry securely.

"I'll always be here for you, Ellie. I love you. I don't want you to cry, I'm fine." Henry told Ellie, trying to comfort her.

"Thank you so much. I'm sorry I'm crying. I was just so scared, Henry. I was scared that I was going to lose you, I was scared you wouldn't remember me, Henry. I'm sor~"

"No, it's fine. I'm here, there's no need to be scared now. I love you." Henry interrupted. He wiped the tears from Ellie's eyes.

"You're so amazing, Henry. I'm so glad I'm with someone who cares about the people who love them." Ellie complimented.

"You just make me feel happy, Ellie. I've never been with you and felt worried or anything. You're an extremely kind person, and I'm glad I've been spending these years with you." Henry replied.

"It's been almost four years now we've been together, right?" Ellie asked.

"Already four years? Damn it! I haven't even planned anything yet..." Henry said, slightly panicking.

"Hey, it's fine. You don't need to make any big plans or anything. You make me happy enough on your own." Ellie told him with a smile.

"You sure? I can arrange something, at least get you a gift or something. I think you deserve something after all the hell we've been through the past week." Henry insisted. Ellie sighed, but gave him a kiss anyway.

"I'm not talking you out of this, am I?" Ellie asked.

"You're going to have to give me a really good reason why I shouldn't before I even consider it." Henry said, Ellie sighed again.

"I love you, Henry, you don't need to make a huge event just for me to love you more." Ellie told him.

"Probably not, but I will. You mean a lot to me, Ellie. I'm more than willing to do anything for you." Henry replied.

"You really are amazing. I love you so much. Please promise me you'll always be safe." Ellie begged.

Henry felt bad. If he had known Ellie would be so affected by what happened to him, he wouldn't have let it happen.

"Hey, I survived. We'll find a way to fix this up eventually. But I needed it to survive, I love you too. I'm sorry this happened." Henry told her.

"I know you survived, but I was scared." Ellie cried. Henry continued to stroke her hair.

"Hey, there's no need to be sad." Henry said, giving her a hug. "You're okay, it's okay." Ellie wiped the tears away again.

"Do you mind if I get some sleep?" Ellie asked.

"Go ahead. I'll try to as well." Henry answered. Ellie smiled, gave Henry a kiss, and closed her eyes.

"Thank you, Henry. I love you, good night." Ellie replied.


	6. Chapter 6

Henry just finished another cup of coffee. He had been working all night. His augmentations were really tough to get used to, and he didn't manage to get any sleep. He felt bad for Ellie, he caused enough problems for her. Being awake all night certainly wasn't going to make it better. It was already morning, too. He went to make himself another cup of coffee, only to realize he was out.

'There's no way I'm going to get any sleep now.' He thought. 'And I'm out of coffee, this is bad.'

He figured the least he could do is get her some breakfast. He left his area, went to the cafeteria, got some food for both himself and Ellie and, more importantly, more coffee beans. He walked through the halls until he got back to his and Ellie's room. He put his plate down on the table in their personal dining room and woke Ellie up.

"Good morning, Ellie. I got you some food. Hope you enjoy." Henry told Ellie, passing over the plate and giving her a kiss. Ellie grabbed the plate and put it on her lap.

"Oh, hey. Sorry about last night. I just..." Ellie trailed off.

"Hey, it's fine. I understand why you were sad. But it's okay, everything's fine. You want me to stay here with you while you eat?" Henry asked, Ellie nodded.

"I'd appreciate that." Ellie responded. "On a side note, how much sleep did you get, and how much coffee did you drink?"

"I, uh... well, about that... I couldn't sleep, and we may or may not be out of coffee... I got more, though." Henry answered hesitantly.

"Henry!" Ellie exclaimed.

"Sorry, I tried to sleep, but these augmentations feel really weird on me still. I need to get used to them." He replied with a sigh.

"You could have talked to me. You could have, I don't know. Make sure you can drink coffee with your cybernetics. Did you check if you can ingest it?" Ellie asked, sounding concerned.

"Well, I haven't died yet, and the Right Hand Man drinks coffee, too. I'm pretty sure I'm fine." Henry told her, trying to get her to calm down. "I understand that you don't want me to be endangered, but I promise you, I'm fine. Since I'm back now, I was thinking we could finally start our battle against the government."

"As long as you survive." Ellie pleaded, hugging Henry tightly.

"I'll try to live. But it I don't, I want you to lead the Toppat Clan without me. I understand it'll be hard to deal with the pain of losing me, but please. You have to stay strong." Henry said with a comforting tone.

"I'll try. I don't know what my life would be like without you, though." Ellie replied.

"To be fair, neither do I. I'll try my best to keep you safe. I promise I'll be okay, too. You should eat, though. The food's going to get cold soon." Henry added. Ellie stabbed into her pancake with her fork, cut up a slice, and ate it.

"You're not allowed to drink coffee anymore." Ellie sighed.

"Why not?" He asked.

"It's unhealthy for you." Ellie answered. "I'm worried that you'll be affected by this in the future, you have a caffeine addiction, Henry." Henry heard a knock on his door.

"I'll be back, I'm not making myself another cup, I'm just answering the door." Henry told her as he went over to it and opened it.

"Hey, Reginald, and Right Hand Man. How's everything going?" Henry asked, inviting them to sit by his office desk.

"Not bad. Still getting used to your cybernetics, is that correct?" Reginald responded.

"I'm sorry, Right Hand Man. I didn't know how much these would affect someone's life." Henry apologized. The Right Hand Man shrugged it off.

"Forget about it, Henry. I don't talk to you often or anything, but I'm not mad." He replied.

"You feeling alright, Henry?" Reginald asked, clearly caring.

"I didn't get any sleep last night, and I drank way too much coffee. Anyway, I was thinking of going to the government space station soon. Take them out, you know?" Henry told them. Ellie walked out of the bedroom, and sat down at desk that Henry, Reginald and the Right Hand Man were sitting at.

"Oh, hey, Ellie!" Reginald said cheerfully as he waved to her.

"Hey. How's everything going?" She asked.

"Well, we were just about to discuss our plan on attacking the government space station. We still have a very obvious threat in our way." Right Hand Man said.

"I'm ready to go for it right now. I'm just worried about Henry..." Ellie replied.

"Hey, I'm fine! I know you're worried, but I'm going to be a lot more careful this time. This is my final chance at stopping them, so I'm going to make it count." Henry told her.

"We've got this, Ellie. We'll defeat the government, and then we've won. I know you're worried after what happened last time, but we're not going to let that happen again." Reginald said.

"It might sound dangerous, but I don't think we should send a high amount of Toppats to the government's space station. I want most of them to be here so they can defend this place if they try to counter attack us." Henry added. "I'm thinking we only send, I'd say twenty, maybe thirty, tops. I want to focus more on the defenses. I'd be going there, though. I have some unfinished business with them."

"If you want, Henry. I can defend the Orbital Station, I know it would be next to impossible for them to get through me." Right Hand Man offered.

"That would actually be a really good idea. You can stay here. Reginald and Ellie, I'm thinking you'll both be coming with me." Henry told them.

"Understood, you can count on me." Ellie replied, seeming more confident now.

"We've got this. So, when will we be sieging the space station they currently control?" Reginald asked.

"I'm thinking tomorrow." Henry responded. He grabbed the microphone beside him. "I'm probably going to announce it, seems fair?"

"Ready when you are." Ellie said. Henry turned on the microphone.

"Attention everyone, as you may know, I'm relatively fine now. Not saying that I'm back to how I was, but... anyway. I'm getting distracted, aren't I? My point is that I do believe we're in a position where we can safely battle the government, and take over their space station. Once we pull that off, we'd basically be completely untouchable. We could essentially do whatever we want to, and suffer no consequences for it. I don't want to send a lot of Toppats, I mean no more than thirty. I'm thinking we should completely prioritize on the defenses. Ellie, Reginald and I will infiltrate their base, while the Right Hand Man will stay here. These are our plans, should the event occur in which I die, I expect my Right Hand Lady, Ellie Rose, to take leadership. Though to be fair, I doubt that will be the case. Either way, I expect you all to be ready for this tomorrow." Henry spoke through the microphone. After he turned off his microphone, he continued to talk to the three he was prior to his announcement.

"Are you all ready for this? This is going to be one of the toughest operations we've pulled off." Henry asked them.

"I'm more than ready. Let's do this." Ellie answered.

"I'll defend this place with my life." Right Hand Man told him.

* * *

Henry was standing over the group of Toppats he would be leading. He knew Ellie's concerns from yesterday, so he made sure he wasn't going to do anything dangerous this time.

'Can't believe it's finally come to this. Seeing everyone here. It fills me with joy.' Henry thought. Ellie nudged his shoulder, snapping him back into reality and causing him to turn around.

"Oh, hey! Sorry, I zoned out." Henry told her.

"I know. You ready for this?" Ellie asked.

"Yeah, I didn't come here to die, we're gonna do this." Henry replied confidently. Ellie gave him a hug.

"You better not die on me. I don't know how I'd go on without you." Ellie said. "I love you."

"I love you too, Ellie. I promise you, we can do this." Henry replied.

"Alright, you do your thing. I know you can do this." Ellie told him as she broke the hug. Henry turned back to the Toppats, and spoke clearly.

"It's time everyone, it's really come down to this now. It's either them, or us. This battle will define the Toppat name. It's time! We're going to breach their main walls of defense, then we can bust into their main headquarters, take out anyone who tries to stop you, our main goal is to get their leader at least, but the more people we take down, the better." Henry commanded. He turned around again to look at Ellie and Reginald.

"You both ready for this?" He asked.

"You keep asking that, Henry. You know why we're here." Reginald responded as he loaded his gun.

"We know what we're fighting for. We've got this, Henry." Ellie told him. Henry hugged her one last time before the battle began.

"Perfect, then let's do this." Henry said. He let go of Ellie, grabbed his gun and loaded it, and was ready to use the teleporter in the Orbital Station to teleport to the government's base.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter is kind of dark... If you're okay with that, read on and enjoy it. Otherwise, you may want to end The Worthy King here, skip this chapter or scroll down to the bottom to see the brief summary I put in the end notes. Hope you all know what you're in for, and enjoy.

The Toppats used the teleporter from the Orbital Station to reach the government fortress. Henry generated a massive shield using his new abilities, easily protecting the Toppats as they shot through the government's defenses. Henry used his augmented arm as a gun to shoot down more of the enemies who opposed them. With Henry being as versatile as he is, it seemed way too easy.

Meanwhile, at the communications room, someone notified the highest ranking authorities of the break in.

"Hey, general? We've got a bit of an issue." The corporal said through his earpiece.

"What is it?" The general asked.

"We have a bit of a break in, Western area's in a bit of danger, seems like the Toppat leaders are here?" He answered.

'Time to bring Reginald down this time.' He thought.

"General? You still there?" The corporal asked.

"I hope they come. I have years of vengeance I'm dying to exact on them." The general said.

* * *

Henry, Reginald and Ellie ran through the halls, trying to find the government's main room. They assumed would find General Galeforce there. Ellie saw something on the wall.

"Hey, guys. I found a map, maybe it could help us." Ellie tore the paper map off the wall, showing it to Henry and Reginald.

"So, if we go straight, take a turn to the right there, go down the stairs, make a left, and then go straight, we'll get there?" Henry confirmed.

"It seems like it. So, we all just break through and take him down, right?" Reginald asked.

"I don't think it's that simple, I know what Galeforce is like, he'd have people there as well. Plus, I imagine we'd be prone to attacks from behind. I'll go in, you two guard the door." Henry told them. "Sounds like a plan?"

"You can count on us." Ellie replied. The three ran down the stairs. Ellie and Reginald loaded their guns, and Henry went down the hall, entering the main room of the fortress, as soon as he entered, he felt a gunshot in his chest. Wounded, Henry collapsed to the ground.

"You... really had to shoot me... in the life support. Didn't you Galeforce?" Henry asked.

"Now that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. It's been way too long, hasn't it, Reginald?" The man asked, pointing his gun at who he assumed was Reginald. They looked into each other's eyes.

"Charles? Is that you?" Henry asked.

Charles dropped his gun.

"Henry? You mean to tell me you became the leader of the Toppats?" Charles asked.

"You should tell me what happened to Galeforce first before you even try to pry an answer from me." Henry coughed out.

"You really want to know? You really expect me to tell you? You sicken me, Henry." Charles told him.

"Maybe I do, but are you really willing to kill me, Charles?" Henry asked.

"You're in no position to call me that. The name's General Calvin."

"Fine, you want to talk about positions? At least I don't kill people I once cared for." Henry spat out, transmuting his arm into a sword, and slashing at Charles, knocking him across the room. "I never thought you the friend to begin with." Henry kicked Charles gun over to him.

"You want me to kill you?" Charles asked him as he gripped his gun.

"I want a fair fight." Henry said. "Up, on your feet. At least give me this before I die from my faulty life support."

"What even happened to you, anyway?" Charles asked. "You look... different."

"I'm on burrowed time here, Calvin..." Henry replied coldly as he thrusted towards Charles. The former pilot, and newfound general dodged, and shot at Henry again. Henry formed a shield to block the attack, and turned his arm back into a gun.

"When will this end, Henry? When will you realize you've made the wrong choices?"

"Me? I made the wrong choice? I have a relationship with someone, and I don't think I can even see her one last time before I die again because of you!" Henry told him, enraged. "You didn't just kill me, Calvin, you've ruined Ellie's life. Are you proud of that fact?"

"I don't know what you want me to say!" Charles exclaimed as he shot his gun. "You were the one that joined the Toppats! I didn't want to do any of this." Henry turned his arm into a sword once more, and slashed smoothly though Charles' chest.

"It doesn't matter what we want. What matters is what we choose to do." Henry whispered without emotion.

"You're disgusting." Charles said. Henry stepped on his gut, causing Charles to cough out blood.

"Call me what you want." Henry told him as he aimed his arm at Charles and transmuted it into a gun. "Go ahead, say whatever you want. I'm going to want to hear why you've replaced Galeforce as well." Charles coughed, and began to speak.

"Galeforce was among our best leaders, but when you... managed to get into orbit, he blamed it on himself. He retired, and promoted me to general so I could take his role." Charles answered as he spat out more blood, and clutched his chest. "It hurt me seeing a man I grew to respect as a father like figure do what he did. You're not the only one affected by what your opponents have done. Please, just kill me. You've won." Charles said as he groaned in pain. Henry returned his arm to normal, and took his foot off Charles.

"No, you deserve a second chance, I've caused enough damage. I'm dying because of my faulty life support after you shot it. I don't want to die like this. But please, Calvin, don't hurt Ellie Rose. If you truly are a good person, you'd understand how much she means to me." Henry told him, sounding genuinely hurt.

"Why didn't you do it? Killing me would have saved you." Charles asked him, grabbing his gun and aiming it at Henry, who responded by turning his arm into a sword one last time, and slicing the gun in half.

"I don't want to kill you, but I promise you, you're never going to hurt the ones I care for. Calvin, I don't think you deserve to die because you're a good person. The Toppats have good doctors, we can heal the wounds I've caused. I don't want to kill you." Henry offered.

"You mean... you don't hate me? You're willing to fix what you've done to me?"

"You deserve a better life. I've screwed it over enough, it's time I've made it better. There are people that care for you, Calvin. I'm already going to die, I don't want your loved ones to suffer, too." Henry replied. Charles grabbed Henry's hand, stood back up, and spat the taste of blood out of his mouth.

"You know, blood kind of tastes like metal... It's strange, I never understood it. But I want... to ask you why you saved my life when I shot you first. I mean, we can fix what I've done to you. We have the technol~"

"You do?" Henry interrupted Charles. "You need to fix this. I don't want to die. I don't want to have Ellie deal with my death, Calvin. Please, can you do it?"

"I don't know, it's highly experimental."

"Experimental or not, Ellie's relying on this working."

"This Ellie you keep mentioning, what's she like?." Charles asked.

"She's my fiancé. I love her more than anyone else. We've been together for years now. We were going to get married after this."

Charles felt horrible knowing he ruined a family.

"I-I... I'll see what I can do. All we know is it takes months for it to finish the process. It's one thing to put in the augmentations. It's another thousand to remove them." Charles told him. "And hey. I hope your wedding goes well after we fix you."

"Thanks, Charles." Henry gave him a supportive hug. "I'm sorry that I tried to kill you." Charles was first surprised by this, but eventually excepted it, and returned the hug.

"And I'm sorry I probably did." Charles replied.

* * *

Henry and Charles both left the room, and walked over to Ellie and Reginald. After a few seconds of silence, Henry finally spoke.

"I'd like to welcome you both to Charles Calvin. He has a way to fix what I am. I know he used to work with the government, but please, he's a nice guy." Henry told them.

"Ignore the blood. I'm generally more presentable." Charles joked as he coughed more blood out. "I just had my ribs cut through."

"He seems nice enough." Reginald stated.

"Anyway, Henry. We have the means to restore back to your former, human, self. We've been experimenting with it for quite some time now. I presume you came into contact with Dr. V?" Charles asked Henry.

"The one that does this to dying people? Yeah." Henry answered.

"That's the one. We've made a device that can remove the augmentations, but there's an issue."

"What is it?" Henry asked.

"It's highly experimental, and takes four months at the minimum." Charles sighed.

"Four months?" Ellie asked, sounding both surprised and worried. "But what will happen to the Toppats without Henry?"

"You know what I said if there's ever a time where I'm unable to lead, Ellie. I'm passing the leadership of the Toppat Clan to you." Henry told her as he have her a hug. "Please, Ellie. I understand that you want me to stay, but I don't have much time left anyway. I either take this chance, or I die."

"Please, there has to be another way."

"We don't have time to find another way, Ellie. My life support was shot at, I don't have much time left. Charles, I want to offer you something." Henry said.

"I'm all ears." Charles replied.

"Do you want to join the Toppat Clan? I understand if you don't, but if you decline, you'll stay our enemy." Henry offered the general.

"I don't want to make that decision. I just want to help you survive, Henry." Charles sighed. "To be fair, I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I don't want to help you guys, but I don't want to hurt you anymore, either. Anyway, we should probably get you into the capsule we plan on using to remove the cybernetics."

"That's a good idea. You know where it is. Right, Charles?" Henry asked. Charles nodded as he walked through the halls, Reginald, Henry and Ellie followed him. As Henry was walking, he felt Ellie tug on his sleeve. He turned around.

"Oh, what is it, Ellie?" Henry asked.

"I'm going to miss you. Four months is a long time." Ellie answered, starting to cry.

"Hey, it's fine. At least I'll be human again, Ellie. Please, don't cry." Henry said in a comforting tone as he hugged Ellie tightly.

"I promise you, I'll lead the Toppats as well as I can until you return." Ellie replied.

"No, I'm not leading them anymore. You've proven yourself to be as good of a ruler as I was, it's time you take the role now." Henry told her.

"I love you, Henry." Ellie cried.

"Please don't cry. I'll be fine. I love you too, Ellie." Henry responded. "I promise as soon as I'm human again, I'll see you."

"What about Charles? What are you going to do with him?" She asked.

"We're going to bring him to a doctor as well. He doesn't deserve to die because he's a good person." Henry answered. They walked into the medical center, where Henry found the capsule he was supposed to go in.

"So, Henry. When you go in there, you'd be put into a comatose like state. We have technology that would replace your augmentations with human flesh once again. Like I mentioned earlier, it's going to take months, but you'll be back to your old self again. As for me, I really need this wound cauterized or something." Charles said.

"You guys don't plan on like, killing me or anything in there, right?" Henry joked.

"No, man. You chose not to kill me back there. I'm not going to leave you for dead in there." Charles told him. "I'm going to see if I can get these wounds cauterized now before I bleed out." Charles said.

"If you want, I know the Toppat Clan has amazing doctors, it's the least I can do after almost killing you." Henry offered.

"Thanks, Henry. You should probably get in that pod, before you know. Your life support dies out." The general replied.

"Goodbye, Ellie. I'll be back in a few months. Please, I trust you with everything." Henry hugged Ellie one more time before he stepped into the capsule, he watched as the door sealed, and only thought of what the world would be like when he returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, odds are you're reading this because you saw it'd be dark. Let me give you a brief summary.
> 
> Henry finds Charles on the government fortress, Charles shoots at Henry's life support. As his dying wish, Henry wants to battle Charles in combat.
> 
> Eventually, Henry wins and defeats Charles, leaving him at the verge of death and ready to kill him, before deciding to spare Charles, as he understood Charles was a kind man who didn't deserve to die.
> 
> Charles informs Henry that there's a way to cure his faulty life support and remove his augmentations, but it would take roughly four months to finish. Henry agrees, having no other option, and is put into a capsule where he's put into a comatose state for his surgery to be complete, leaving Ellie the new leader of the Toppats.
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed this brief, less dark summary.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. I guess this is the final chapter for The Worthy King. It's been really fun writing this, and so far, it's my favorite. Living the Dream was alright, but I'll be honest, in my opinion, this one's way better. I know it has less chapters, but if you look at the word count, it's overall a longer story. I'm really glad I was able to do everything I wanted with this, and I'll be sure to have something new out soon.

Henry woke up. He felt cold, and uncomfortable. He had no idea where he was, or why his arm, chest and the back of his head felt so strange. He was extremely light-headed.

'Where am I?' He thought. His memory was extremely foggy, he genuinely couldn't remember what had happened.

'Something about... life support? My name... it's...' He trailed off.

'I'm... Hen... Henry! Yes, my name's Henry... Henry Sti... Huh, this is going to take a lot of getting used to.' He was in a pod of some sort. At least, it seemed like it.

'A button? What this do?' Henry wondered as he pushed it. The glass door opened, and he stepped out. He saw a someone in a military suit wearing a red headset.

'Well, hey At least I remember what the military is. I recognize a general when I see one. I don't get it, why do I feel like that man is against me?'

"Henry! Glad to see you made it out! You should probably go see Ellie. She's worried about you." The man said.

"Excuse me, but... who's Ellie, general? My memories are really fogged up." Henry asked. "I don't even know who you are."

"You don't remember Ellie? She's... she's your fiancé, Henry. You two fell on love over four years ago." The general told him.

"I don't remember anything, really. I don't know if this is permanent or if it'll take time, but I seriously can't even remember my whole name. Why was I even in that pod, anyway?"

"I shot at your life support, you used to have these cybernetics, but when your life support was shot at, you began to die. We didn't have a choice, you were put in that capsule and were in there for months. Let me do the math. It was late September... now it's mid February, roughly four and a half months."

'I was... shot? By this man? How is he acting so relaxed about it? What the hell is this?' Henry was panicking. Without any thought, he grabbed the general by the throat, and lifted him off the ground.

"Henry! What are you doing? Why are you doing this?" The general asked him as he gripped his neck harder.

"I could ask you the same on why you shot me." Henry said coldly.

"No! You don't understand. Please, if you put me down, I can explain everything to you." The man begged as he started choking. Henry dropped him, and he started panting, desperately seeking air.

"You better give me a damn good reason why."

"Alright, alright. I shot you, right? Your life support was faulty, and then you slashed through my chest with your cybernetic arm after turning it into a sword. After realizing that I had people that might have cared for me as well, you spared my life. I figured it was only fair that I would use the technology we have to fix your augmentations. I got my wounds cauterized, and the Toppats came to respect me, they said if you trusted me, I shouldn't be all that bad. Ellie came to trust me as well. She's been having a tough time without you, Henry. Leading the Toppat Clan while trying to deal with not being able to see the ones you love is really difficult. She's been doing well, though. She misses you. In case you're wondering, you're name is Henry S~" Calvin was cut off by Henry.

"Henry Stickmin, I know. It's kind of difficult piecing everything back together, but I'm trying, General Calvin." Henry interrupted. "Or, do you want me to call you Charles?"

"I'd prefer Charles, do you... do you remember anything about Ellie?" Charles asked him.

"Ms. Rose, correct? I, remember what she looks like. A tad shorter than me, deep red hair. I remember her being important, and whenever I hear her name, I feel happy. Maybe I did love her..." Henry said with confusion.

"You did! She was the most important person ever to you! She told me a lot about the times you spent together, like the time she bashed Petrov's face in with a stop sign." Charles told him.

"I... I think I remember that? Oh! Yeah, that! I remember that now, yeah! I went on the motorcycle that was in the snow, and then Petrov tackled me. Ellie went on the motorbike, and drove off. I figured she had a plan, and sure enough, she came back with a stop sign, and whacked him so hard he lost his teeth!" Henry exclaimed.

"That... that is what happened. I'm surprised you got that one. You remember anything else?" Charles asked.

"I know I was the leader of the Toppat Clan, and I... I know Ellie was important to me, I remember having a lot of great memories with her. She must miss me so much." Henry sighed.

"Hey, man. Don't worry, you'll get to see her again soon! I know it must still feel uncomfortable, but as soon as you feel ready to actually walk, I'll bring you to her."

"No, I want to know where she is right now. I find it unfair how I've been so separated from her for these past few months away from her. I'm as close to her as I want to be." Henry told him. "Where is she?"

"If you leave this room, turn to the left, and... actually, you know what? There's a map on the wall. It probably is more reliable than I am." Charles replied.

"Got it. Thanks, Charles." Henry said kindly as he walked out of the room.

* * *

Ellie was digging through paperwork, trying to get her work done, when she heard a knock on the door.

"Yeah? What is it?" She asked. Henry opened the door, and Ellie dropped her pen. "It-It's you! Henry!" Ellie got out of her seat and ran over to Henry and wrapped her arms around him. Henry returned the hug, and pressed his lips against hers, giving a loving, comforting kiss. Ellie didn't want this to end, it was the most comforting event in her entire life. After months of the constant worrying she'd never see Henry again, he was there. Ellie barely broke the kiss long enough to catch her breath.

"I'm so sorry I've kept you waiti~" Henry was interrupted by another kiss. Henry wanted to say something, but he chose not to break the kiss again. Instead, he hugged Ellie tightly, as he savored this moment. The feeling of Ellie's kiss was extremely soothing to him. Eventually, Ellie took her lips off Henry's.

"Oh, man. I forgot how amazing it felt kissing you. To be fair, I forgot my name roughly fifteen minutes ago." Henry laughed. Ellie gently elbowed him.

"It's good to have you back, Henry." She said as she sat down.

"What have I missed, anyway? I see you've renovated my... sorry, your office." Henry asked.

"Well, I wanted to make it feel more like my own rather than yours. I got a few filing cabinets and put all your stuff in them. It's not like you ever sorted your stuff, anyway. So I don't feel bad." Ellie told him as she pointed to the cabinets beside her.

"Well, I'll be sure to put them somewhere later. For now, Ellie, there's a lot of catching up to do, and I have a lot of questions to ask as well."

"Ask away, Henry." She replied.

"Was I... a good leader? I was clearly disorganized, and I remember you saying I drank too much or something? I really can't remember much. It's really difficult to remember anything. I didn't even know how well you kissed until just now."

"No, you were absolutely amazing. Reginald saw you as a son, he always enjoyed seeing you lead the Toppat Clan. He told me he would give anything to make you leader again." Ellie told him. "You did drink way too much coffee, though."

"Does everyone think you're a good leader?"

"Well, I know Reginald and the Right Hand Man do. I know a lot of the Toppats do... but I don't. Henry, you were our best leader, people called you the Toppat King. They had a damn good reason to. Everyone loves you, Henry. I have a huge role to fill, and I just can't do it. Sure, everyone supports me, but I feel like it's just because they all loved how well you managed the Clan and I'm close to you. I don't know. I think I'm doing alright." Ellie sighed. Henry gave her another hug, and she smiled.

"Why would you think you're a bad leader if everyone likes you, too?" Henry asked her.

"I don't think I'm bad at it, I'm no Suave. But I'm not you, Henry. It's hard to be as great as you were. Everybody loved you. And while nobody seems to dislike me, I know they all want you back." She said.

"Hey, it's fine. Ellie, I think you're a great leader. You can do this. If you want, now that I'm back, you can take a break." Henry offered her.

"I need one, I need a fucking break. It's so damn stressful." Ellie sighed, Henry tightened the hug as he gave her another kiss.

"It's okay, Ellie. Have some time to yourself. I can get some work done." Henry replied. Ellie frowned.

"No, I want to have some time with you, Henry. It's been months since I've last seen you." She told him.

"Oh, of course, yeah. I'm... sorry I'm so oblivious, everything's such a struggle right now." Henry sighed.

"I understand. Honestly, take your time, Henry. I love you, you know that, right?" She asked with a smile.

"Yeah, I love you too, Ellie. I wish I never had to get these augmentations. They've affected your life so much, and I wish I was able to be mo~"

"Hey, Henry. It's fine. I've been doing fine these past few months. Don't worry about it." Ellie said. Henry smiled, he forgot how nice it was being with her.

"So, what do you want to do? I'm down for my third life threateni~" Ellie interrupted Henry and punched him in the shoulder.

"Not even funny." She sighed.

"Sorry. I really should have thought about what I was saying." Henry apologized.

"You don't say. I was horrified after you died the first time, let alone the near-death experience after new cybernetics wasn't an option." Ellie told him as she curled up into herself. "I thought I lost you, Henry. I don't want that to happen ever again." Ellie started crying.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I won't be so careless anymore. I'm sorry I made you cry, Ellie. Please, it's okay." Henry tried to comfort his fiancé. Ellie sniffled as she hugged Henry again.

"I just want to be with you." Ellie cried, her tears running down her face, and soaking Henry's shoulder. Henry gently stroked her hair as she continued to cry. Ellie felt comfortable, yet sad at the same time. It was such a strange feeling.

"Hey, I'm going to make myself a drink. Do you want anything?" Henry offered.

"I got rid of the coffee before you have any ideas." Ellie chuckled as she wiped her tears away. Henry sighed.

"Alright, then. What else do we have?" Henry asked. Ellie laughed, and Henry soon joined in.

"Well, look in the bar fridge. We have orange soda, lemonade, iced tea, water... it's up to you honestly, but I'd be down for a lemonade." Ellie said. Henry opened the bar fridge and grabbed a lemonade and an iced tea.

* * *

Henry and Ellie ended up watching movies that evening, it helped them relax and took a lot of stress of each of them. Ellie fell asleep during one of the movies, and her head was resting against Henry's lap. Henry continued to stroke her hair, as it made him feel more relaxed. He looked down at Ellie.

'Even when she's asleep, she's still just as beautiful.' Henry thought. He heard a knock on the door.

"Damn it." He muttered. Henry gently moved Ellie's head off his lap, got up and opened to door.

"Hey, Charles! What's up?" Henry asked.

"Not much, I just wanted to see how you guys were doing." Charles answered.

"Oh, we were just watching movies, then Ellie fell asleep." Henry opened the bar fridge. "You want anything?"

"You guys have orange soda? That's my favorite!" Charles exclaimed as Henry passed him one. Charles went to sit on the couch, but then saw Ellie sleeping on it, and went over to the chair. He opened the can and took a sip.

"So, how've you been? I didn't really get to ask you." Henry asked the general.

"I've been alright. I got to know Ellie, she's good for you." Charles said.

"Thanks, Charles. Hey, you ever thought of getting a wife one day and starting a family?"

"Well, about that, Henry... I'm... well, I'm gay." Charles confessed.

"Oh! My bad, shouldn't have assumed, either way. I hope one day you find the right man." Henry told him. Charles smiled.

"I hope so, too. I'm glad I have good friends like you, though. If that's all I ever have, that's fine." Charles happily replied. "Well, now that you're back, I'm thinking of heading out. It's been really nice here, but I've got stuff to do."

"Alright, then. I know we're technically enemies, but you're a good man, Charles. I know it's your job to bring us down, and if the day comes where blood has to be spilled, I won't hesitate. Until then, you're free to go." Henry told him. Charles smiled as he walked out. Henry nudged Ellie's shoulder repeatedly until she woke up.

"Hey, you fell asleep. Charles is going back home." Henry told her as he stroked her hair. Ellie gave him a hug.

"So, do you want to go in our room. Call it quits for a night?" Ellie asked.

"For sure, I've missed that room so much." Henry agreed, he gave Ellie a kiss as he walked into their bedroom. When he got in, he lifelessly flopped on the bed. He looked around the room and saw a lot of picture frames of him and Ellie in them. He vividly remembered each of those moments. His memory really was getting better. Ellie went to lay down on the bed. As she covered her body in blankets, Henry gave her a hug.

"You've made this place so much better. I'm really glad I'm back with you." Henry said.

"So am I, Henry. I figured I'd make this room feel more like us together, rather than a room we split. That's why I put up so many picture frames." Ellie replied.

"You know, I'm always going to be here from now on. I don't really want to go risk my life again." Henry told her.

"If I didn't love you so much you would be dead for the third time." Ellie threatened.

"I don't know which is worse, the fact you can say that I've died twice already, or the fact I don't doubt you would." Henry sighed. Ellie looked at him and started to laugh. Henry joined in eventually. It wasn't really funny, but he couldn't help it.

"It's nice to have you back Henry. I'm glad to be here with you." Ellie smiled.

"You know, being with you has made me a stronger person. I've gained more confidence, I've started engaging in conversations. Overall, you've made me feel like I actually mattered." Henry confessed. Ellie pressed her lips against his and gently kissed him.

"That's because you do matter, Henry. You've saved Charles' life, you've been a son-like figure to Reginald for years now, and you've given me the greatest fiancé ever. You matter plenty." Ellie hugged Henry as she started to close her eyes. "Good night, Henry. I love you."

"I love you too, Ellie." Henry responded as he hugged her back.


End file.
